Next question then as it relates to what we are talking about:   If I want to make 2 parts of a full cake have varying degrees, how would I go about doing this? Say Rows 1,3,5 are a 60 degree cake and rows 2,4,6 are a 40 degree cake… as in Rows 1,3,5 have degrees from -30 to 30 and 2,4,6 have degrees from -20 to 20.

Hi Curtis B, great question. The VDL snippet you provided is an example of the Exact simulation syntax for cakes. The cake combiner uses this syntax as a fallback anytime it can’t find a way to make the cake using one of the Standard firing patterns. Don’t worry, you will not be disqualified if your cake VDLs contain exact simulation syntax.   Keep in mind, if the reason one of your cake VDLs uses the exact syntax is because of a mistake, that could hurt your score. For example, suppose you designing a simple 3 row fan cake that shoots a flight of 7 aqua comets every 3 seconds, fanned at 70 degrees. The VDL for the cake would be:   30mm 21 Shot 6.0s 70 Degrees Cake (a) Aqua Comet, 3 Rows, Rows 1,2,3 (3.0/aaaaaaa/FNT)   However, if you accidentally fan the last flight to 85 degrees (instead of 70 degrees), then combine the cake, you end up with:   30mm 21 Shot 6.0s Cake (a) Aqua Comet, 1 Row (-35a0/-23a/-12a/0a/12a/23a/35a3000/-35a0/-23a/-12a/0a/12a/23a/35a3000/-43a0/-28a/-14a/0a/14a/28a/43a/CAK)   In the example above, the standard syntax is being used because of the angle error. In other situations, it could be that the only way to represent a real-life cake is the exact syntax. Bottom line, if you see the exact syntax being used when you combine a cake, you just want to make sure it’s being using because you need it, not because of a mistake.

If we have language like this { (30a86/15a81/0a76/-15a96/-30a6678/-20b100/0b/20b4469/30c100/15c/0c/-15c/-30c4759/-20d100/0d/20d4945/30e100/15e/0e/-15e/-30e5052/-20f100/0f/20f/CAK) } at the end of our VDL, will we be disqualified?   This is from combining things on a timeline and then using the “Combine as Cake Effect”. Just making sure so I don’t put a lot of work into making realistic sims and it all be for not.

Script -> Time Adjustments -> Shift Times ( Shift + Q)   Would be great if there could a option (Checkbox, include selected songs) which offers us to shift times for selected songs and script lines at once.  

So, I’ve been playing with the effect editor for a while now and have managed to get some effects built, tweaked things etc.  However, I’d love to find some sort of a ‘reference guide’ so I can get proficient.  I’ve seen plenty of amazing effects created but I’m having a hard time getting past the basics.  Is there something I’ve not found yet (hidden URLs?) or is there something in the works/available I’ve not found ?  If not, I’d really like to see something, even if it was a pay-to-watch tutorial series.

Hi Curtis B, for an aerial break pattern in which the stars are ejected from one end of a tube, try the VDL term ‘Ear’.

  DrewFinale wrote: Hi Curtis B, try using the VDL term ‘Ragged’ to make a break pattern less spherical. Conversely, you can use ‘Uniform’ to make a break pattern more spherical. See VDL effect adjustment terms.   Yeah, I’ve used both in the VDL but it doesn’t make the stars “spit” out of the shell vs “burst” out of the shell… its a horsetail effect BUT a VERY sloppy horsetail that I am shooting for. I may be trying to get too precise too, lol

Hi Curtis B, try using the VDL term ‘Ragged’ to make a break pattern less spherical. Conversely, you can use ‘Uniform’ to make a break pattern more spherical. See VDL effect adjustment terms.

Not for any cake in particular, but is there a way to notate a break being more of a “canister” versus a “ball shell” by chance? I’m looking at the spread on some of these effects and it doesn’t seem like I can really get the break to do what I want due to the VDL software to imagine things as ball shells versus canister shells? Maybe I’m missing something here though?

  Neil wrote: Hey there, Phil! I think your question touches on exactly what the contest is about — 😀 to see how different people handle creating sims for the various effects using the VDL system, knowing that the effects won’t always be completely accurate, that VDL is limited, and that peoples’ knowledge and experience with the system varies wildly, to see what methods and syntax people use to create the most accurate and useful sims.   Very well said, Neil. One of the current limitations in VDL is that your can’t independently specify the durations of different parts of a transitioning effect. An example would be ‘Red To Blue Peony’. While you can specify the overall duration of the stars, you can’t specific the duration of the red phase and independently from the blue phase. Of course, this can be done in the effect editor, but that’s not allowed in this contest.   Neil’s suggestions to use VDL adjustment terms such as, ‘Long’, ‘Short’, etc. as in, ‘Long Red to Blue Peony’, or to specify the overall effect duration in seconds, as in ‘3s Red to Blue Peony’, are spot on.   One clarification about specifying durations in seconds vs. using ‘DUR’ – it’s true that ‘DUR’ needs to be used for effects within a cake. But, if you are creating effects for a cake as single shots, then using ‘Effects > Combine as cake’ to write the full cake VDL for you, then you don’t need to worry about using ‘DUR’ in your single shots. For example, a single shot with the VDL ‘3s Red To Blue Peony’ will automatically be translated to ‘3 DUR Red To Blue Peony’ when combined into a cake.